I think you make some great points here. Ultimately, I love Yakuza 3 for the different direction it takes, both with the Orphanage to show another side of Kiryu, and how that clashes with Mine, and the political scope of the Defence Building vs the Resort, something I found more tangible and believable than most of the conflicts surrounding the Millennium Tower. I also double down on your point of Kiryu seeing Rikiya's journey and potential, and that being wasted breaking him to deliver one of his best vocal performances in the series. Ultimately though, I understand the severe issues with the gameplay especially after coming from the updated Kiwami Engine, as well as the litany of missed opportunities. I stand by what I posted on your K2 video (I think it was K2) that I think this has a better plot and is less nonsensical than the entire finale sequence of that game, but I'd be splitting hairs. Thanks for another great review :D
I totally agree with you that in terms of believability the conflict over sun flower is better than a lot of other premises other games operate on. And that getting the chance to see another side of Kiryu was unquestionably one of the best parts of 3. Thank you for being so understanding of the points I made. P.S it was the K2 video.
@@riku582 😊 Yeah. I recently got my own PS4, and couldn't transfer my files to it from my brother's PS4, so I had to restart. I finished Yakuza 0, and am currently on Kiwami, then I'll move onto Kiwami 2, then the Yakuza Collection(3, 4, and 5), and will have to get my hands on 6 and Like A Dragon.
@@riku582 Yeah...Might take a while though, but yeah. I definitely will. Update: finished Kiwami 1 and 2, and am close to completing 3, then I'll move on to 4, 5, 6, and Like A Dragon(I got my hands on 6 and Like A Dragon).
Despite the major story issues, Yakuza 3 is probably my third favorite in the series (after 0 and 7) for what it tried to do. I think if they had time for two more chapters to resolve the story and subplots better, and they didn't do the Kazama twin nonsense, it would be one of my favorite games ever. Good video as always, and I look forward to 4 or whichever other video you do next.
The semi tropical Okinawa ambient and setting for Yakuza 3 is my absolute favorite, seeing Kiryu with his children and how he genuinely loves his family is something exclusive to this one.
the entire game of 3 is all new features for the series on release. the bowling, the darts, the pool, all the minigames, even the camera angle moving around, the chasing mechanics etc. i think people forget that.
I really wished RGGS visited back (and improved/expanded) older cities in the game, Okinawa really was something really unique, even after playing all the mainline games, anyways nice video!
honestly i think yahkuza 3 remastered should instead have been yakuza kiwami 3, the game is just a bit too old and unpolished even with whatever fixes the remaster made to the original
41:10 Everyone who calls Kiryu Aniki dies. 44:49 That was Mine's gun. Also, Andre pointed upwards while saying Daigo's name so that's how Kiryu could seem to understand him.
Random punk #1: Yo, pops! Wanna get kicked in the butt? Random punk#2: We’ll make you crap on your pants, ya dummy! Random punk#3: You’re gonna be crying for your mama, jabroni! Kiryu beats them all to a bloody pulp and the punks run away! Another typical day in the life of Kazuma Kiryu
Good to see you back, great video as always, I personally enjoyed Yakuza 3 although it is far from being my favorite, I did like the characters and the story was good despite half of it being explained in a 10 minute conversation cutscene, the gameplay was also pretty rough and clunky but that's excused by how old the game is
I'm gonna be completely honest I was crying when Rikiya died he was probably in my opinion butting heads with majima for My favorite character other than Kiryu
I finished 3 probably about a month ago and I'll agree that it has its flaws, but I think the story was bar none one of my favs and that it deserves some recognition for the emotional development between characters. On the flip side, I'm also a completionist and Yakuza 3 was ready to make me burst a blood vessel because the stuff that should detract from the serious nature of the story and lighten up the mood of the city becomes quickly overturned by how clunky the physics engine for the game is. My main gripe in this statement comes mostly from the darts and golf minigame, not so much pool for me because Kiwami 1's "Mister Master" achievement tortured me enough to prove that I knew how to play it but some aspects of the minigames just accentuate how incredibly dated the game is and I can't blame them seeing as it came out 10+ years ago. Thankfully, I managed to get the platinum, so my woes are somewhat over until I decide to platinum 5. Overall, however, it was a Yakuza game that grew on me and I love the transition from Kiryu struggling to balance managing his orphanage and his relationships to friends he holds dear to watching it all collide and him trying to piece together everything and finally solve the issue at hand.
For the story stuff you mentioned, fair enough. For the mini game related things, I never really messed with the mini games in 3 long enough to get a solid opinion of most of them that aren't the cabaret club, so I will take your word for it.
I have a feeling that, if they do get round to making Kiwami 3 (as the series director has recently said they'll eventually do), giving more of a presence to Mine will be a priority.
this was an incredibly well made video and an enjoyable watch. will go back and watch your videos on yakuza 0 and the kiwami games, and then make sure to watch 4, 5, and 6 as i continue to progress through the series. you deserve way more viewership than the criminally low amount you're getting and i hope your videos get the popularity they deserve one day.
I love kiryu's characterisation in yakuza 3 and rikiya is one of fav character's in the whole series as well as all the character interactions I just wish there was more meat to the conflict in the story, like black monday just feels like a diet jingweon and while i do like kiryu's interactions with the kid's i agree with you that it should've been substory mission's
Black Monday is kind of amazing for just how much of a non entity they are despite the story being written around how big of a threat they are. I really wish they got to do literally anything besides be a background element because like you said they feel like a diet version of the Jingweon, which in universe is kind of sad seeing as they are a huge organization and they can't hold a candle to a group of 20 plus thugs.
@@riku582 THE CHAD JINWAGON: Can set a whole city to blow, can manipulate two of the biggest yakuza clans in Japan, could've won if it weren't for the two even bigger chad dragon's, got wiped out yet came back even stronger, nearly killed Majima. the virgin black monday: is explained in a exposition dump, couldn't kill anyone (except for one guy but gets retconned), nobody cares about there existence, leader is a wannabe Albert Wesker but with broken English, gets wiped out by one man that just came out of a comma
I’m not gonna watch this cuz I’m still doing Yakuza 3 but it’s glad to see that you’re doing alright my friend I gotta continue watching your K2 retrospective though! You’re awesome man
Overall, it's a great video, and I agree with alot of what you said here, and you made some pretty good tips. By the way, you actually can skip cutscenes in 3 (and 4 since they use the same skipping mechanic) while it took a while for me to figure out, you basically have to hold the button that you would use to usually skip cutscenes in 0, Kiwami, and Kiwami 2. There is also a setting that allows you to only just press the button. Other than that, I'm looking forward to the retrospective on 4!
I personally didn't like mine as a villian but I love the characters in this game, you get to see a wide range of personalities and the combat is very enjoyable. I know people say it's really difficult but I had a fun time with it and the substories were really cute. It's not my favorite yakuza game but I would put it up on a list of my favorite games of all time. I just played through it recently completing most of the substories on normal. I really like this game and it definitely has a lot of meme worthy moments
Disagree with the kids stories should have been sub stories. The game clearly wants you to care for the kids as much as Kiryu does. And for good reason. They become Kiryu’s primary motivation for the rest of the series. Every decision he makes is to benefit them. They’re his family, getting to know all of them only makes y6’s ending more impactful. Also, combat isn’t that bad. It’s 100 percent fine.
I won't deny that their mandatory appearances here did strengthen the overall story of later games. However, because so much time is dedicated to them Joji, Mine, and Black Monday get practically no time to leave a lasting impression and get plowed through in quick succession. It might not be a perfect solution but giving 4 or 5 of the kids mandatory encounters while leaving the rest to substories was the best way I could come up with giving the villains more screen time without nixing the kids' entirely.
I really wish i knew what i did wrong with Rikia in my first playtrough 😞 i walked with him around Kamurotcho and we ended up drinking in homenage to Kashiwagi but somehow i totally missed the tattoo segment of his history
Yeah I completely missed the Rikia sections entirely on my first go around which is why I made it a point to mention it in this video in case people missed it. It's been a while since I played 3 so I couldn't tell you right off the bat how the triggers for this section works, but I remember it being a bit too specific to trigger on accident.
I'm surprised you never mentioned the dodging on PS4, going from it to the PS3 version felt like I was scraping the grease off of Kiryu's shoes and it led to my first Tamashiro fight on PS4 taking at least half an hour
Hey my dude watching the credits role on yakuza 3 before I watch just wanna say as strong as an impact this game had on me emotionally this prlly is weakest in the story but I love it still. Anyways just like kiwami 2 I will leave a long comment in my opinions
Okay just like the other videos I will break my opinons in order I will say when spoilers happen in case anyone is cautious of that {Non-Spoilers} Overall THis has to be my least favorite in the franchise ..... it was not bad but it did feel dated coming off of kiwami 2. the lack of a run button in the open world, and combat feeling more clunky, AND EVERY SINGLE NPC SHIELDING LIKE THERE LIFE DEPENDED ON IT .... It got old quick and could of used some adjustments (side note)I Legit lost to the first boss three times because my damage was not enough, and i could not break his guard (Tetsuo) Also yes I agree no pausing was a headache (fun fact I had to restart my game because I was force to leave in the middle of the first cutscene which was annoying.) sad to know that issue is also going to be in pt.4 Overall decent game could of benifited greatly from a kiwami remake but I still think some problems I have with it are beyound just gameplay touch ups, and leak into story issues such as the prologue being a tad to long Unfortunatley I ran through this entire game skipping komaki, substories, and side activitys. {Combat} Yes heat actions lost alot of the power they originally had in my opinon they made no noise and felt dry instead of brutal which lessen the coolness factor in them. Also i thought it was funny how every time you beat a random npc there bodys would look beat up I always laughed at it Avoiding enimes was terrible in Kamurocho I dunno how it was even possible. {Spoilers } Overall Okay since im in spoilers That Kazama reveal was crazy for me I was legit confused thinking he was dead Certain missions like finding Haruka Or misou trying to impress his racist love intrest or any of the oprhans going down to okinawa where annoying because of no destination marker I had to look these missions up a few times because of how confused I was tryignt o find the location. Also Caberat Club was definetley more of a nightmare then I couldve imagined XD 12:04 100% agree XD 20:41 XD 22:18 CHase scenes got repitive quickly for me 23:25 In my opinon Outlaws Lullaby is my favorite from yk2 but crush and strike is also a solid one aswell. {Story} 25:23 Shame Kashiwagi never got to see this story to the end, and also makes me wonder how he got that iconic scar wish they would have coverd that in Yakuza 0 26:55 I DID NOT EVEN KNOW THAT WAS IN THE GAME!!!!!! He easily was my favorite characther 29:35 That boss battle with Lau Kong Spear and claws was so hard I actually lost to him at 1 HP I have very mixed feelings on the orphanage espically with that prologue it was very hit or miss I felt proud/happy for kiryu but damn did it get old Mine (Villan of Yakuza 3) is a intresting idea of a characther but he needed more time felt like he was rushed, and put in the end just to have a big bad guy. Regarding Joji i feel kinda clickbaited like he was just there as a marketing tool for promotion making it seem like Shintaro was still alive 40:03 Yakuza logic dont question anything at this point kiryu has been shot, and stabbed a hundred times and survived with no internal damage. 40:43 THat scene was bad ass even if it makes no sense HUGE ASS SPOILERS 40:59 this almost made me break first off I loved him in this game but holy shit Kiryu voice actor his voice genuinley sounded like it was breaking, honestly I always thought that Rikiya was more of a sworn brother then Nakaharra (old dude who fought the bull) ^That damn scene broke me Kiryu legit broke down to where he was completley out of characther. It showed some much needed emotion but damn we missed out on waht could have been a great characther 42:35 It was so weird hearing an english voice after not understanding a single word this whole franchise XD 43:52 that Mine scene made me feel like Mine characther had alot more pottential then the game gave him. 45:55 Seriously at this point Kiryu organs are shreded from gunshots, and stabbings they are all plastic by now. Anyways thats my thoughts this game was a trip the story was pretty mix imo could have gone through some more drafts, and I dont regret rushing through this one hoping Yakuza 4 is a step in a better direction
Yeah, 3 definitely needed more time in the oven to be on the other games' level. It sucks because the premise is so good, but it just spends too much time doing everything else than what should be the central focus.
At the time of this comment,I am finishing Yakuza 3 on the remaster. What Can I say,it's emotional for me. But how about you? Did you ever catch the feels playing 3?
The things I really didn’t like about this game is the Chase minigame and fat enemies because they can’t be knocked down and without the upgrades dramatically slows the pace of a fight (this is just my opinion)
I really liked the look and feel of Yakuza Kiwami 2 on PS4. Just started playing Yakuza 3 remastered on Xbox. Is it normal for this to look shiny and crappy in comparison to Kiwami 2 or is this a console thing? The characters look worse (I dare say some even look like different people yet I know who it's supposed to be), the eyes have that Starfield thing and even worse, extra shine to an unnecessary level. Just seems weird. Edit: At Chapter 4 and this game is NOT fun.
I just finished this game and wow the plot made no sense at all even for a Yakuza game and I went thru the whole game without finding komeki. Theres no way the game should have been setup that way that you can miss vital characters and substories. Maybe kawami and 0 just spoiled me.
While Koaki's moves are necessary to get enjoyment out of 3's combat system I wouldn't call him vital. Also the game actually puts Komaki's substory directly on your path as one of his students waits outside of New Serena to inform you that you can meet him. The catch is that the hit detection for this side quest to go off is a bit wonky, so you have to get really close to him for it to trigger, but you wouldn't know that on your first playthrough.
I'm just waiting for when you'll say that 4 references 0(spoiler: Majima lost his eye, got put in The Hole and went through everything he did in 0 because of the main story of 4)lol...even though 4 was released 5 years before 0. P.S: Independence For Violence is a better remix than Ideal For Violence(the theme that plays when fighting Nishiki's goons in Serena in Kiwami).
Just finnished it, watching the credits as I write.. Ive never been more torn on a game.. I loved the story once it got going, should just have been paced different.. But I can't stand the combat, kamurocho feels less fun to be in and I didn't really love okinawa either.. Some good substories but couldn't be bothered to do them all.. I am binging the games atm so I'll come to it when I'm Done with the series and can give the slow pace more of a chance sinbe I know what it's building to.. Mine was a really good antagonist Also in just found out rikiya is voiced by Tatsuya Fujiwara from. Battle Royale... Add 2 points to the game for that alone!
Yeah, that sounds about right 3 has got a lot of great story beats but gameplay wise it could be better. And yeah Mine is great, but like I said in the video he needed a bit more time for him to solidify himself as the main villain. As is, I thought he's fine, but I can't help but notice the missed potential. Never heard of it. Is it good?
@@riku582 you mean battle royale? Yeah it's fantastic.. It's one of Tarantinos favorite movies. Each year a group of school kids are sent to an island to fight to the death until only one remains.
My mic was dying when I initially recorded it, and by the time I had realized this I was finished recording the bulk of audio I needed for the video. After that I replaced the mic and recorded any corrections I needed to make which includes the later half of the video.
I just finished Y3 and I'll be honest i liked it but i even prefer the ps2 games. It seems clunky combat wise put weirdly enough the Yakuza 2 combat was way better.
I've experienced this series in the exact same way you had. I gotta say, I agree with a fair bit of your criticisms. It feels extremely unfortunate that the combat is so...rigid? I dunno if that's the right word or not. Maybe stiff works better. I recently finished three, like, five days ago. And despite its flaws I also managed to find myself loving it for so many weird things. A thing I've noticed that this series does really well from sequel to sequel is taking what they have and fleshing it out. I'm currently at the part where you bring up the chase minigame and yeah, I agree with that. Fun, repetitive, but fun regardless. But then in the direct follow-up it adds specifically 90 degree sharp turn dashing and throwing bottles at the people you're chasing. It's kinda crazy how just adding those two things made that minigame even more enjoyable. The final comment I want to make before finishing this video, is I've watched all of your series up to now. And I have to say, your taste in music/the songs you specifically point out as being good I couldn't agree more with. Crush and Strike is just...so weirdly good, it sounds so right. I also really like how varied the music can be in this series. Like in 4, each of the characters fighting themes are quite good. Especially Akiyamas street fighting theme. I honestly can't wait to hear your thoughts on the future series. Also, before I forget. Fly was a song I had lukewarm thoughts on. Nothing too strong, thought it was okay. But then, hearing it in the context of the final boss fight. It honestly made me fall in love with that song. It's honestly really crazy to realise how strong these soundtracks are. I'd gotten into Yakuza because I saw funny man punch metal bench with detective man looking at him and learned where Baka Mitai came from. That, combined with constant recommendations to play it from friends and youtubers alike, I just caved and bought what was out at the time on steam. Now I'm up to five and damn, I'm so happy I picked this series up. I'm also glad I decided to watch your series of Zero to Kiwami 2 to refresh my brain of the story (as I'd finished Kiwami 2 like...eight months ago.) I stayed to watch your thoughts on Yakuza 3 since I found myself liking the way you made content and your commentaries/explanations on it in general. So, I decided to subscribe. Can't wait to see your future content! :> Edit: Nearing the end I had a few more thoughts. My god, I feel you with the Rikiya scene. Kiryu completely breaking down and screaming and begging is just, so horribly tragic. Kiryu is the guy who you just want to get a huge and be told everything will be okay. A big strong dude who's lost so much. But deep down is a very soft and loving person with that side very rarely being shown on full display. That was such a genuinely heartbreaking scene. Hearing Saki scream out and calling Nakahara her father and Rikiya up and dying is just...damn. That hits like a truck. Also I was honestly shocked, surprised and very happy that they made Andre speak in his native tongue. My own little headcanon for that is that Kiryu learned English (well enough) through Yakuza 3. Because of the sub stories of him learning english from those books. I know that's not exactly rock solid, but, it's kinda funny to imagine. Also, it felt oddly sweet hearing Joji say 'beautiful eyes' when referring to Kiryu. There's a lot of emotionally hitting moments like that despite some of its flaws. And I'm not sure if this was a thing you knew or not, but I found this out just the other day. In legend, the Kirin (Mine's Tattoo) is one of the only creatures with the ability to slay a dragon. Interesting when you think about it. Considering Kiryu was fully expecting to die in his fight against Mine. Which is...really sad when you think about it.
Yeah it bites that thanks to our, for lack of a better term, late introduction into the series that 3 feels so stiff, but it thankfully has a lot of charm to fall back on. And I completely agree the series is really good on fleshing aspects of the gameplay to make sequel titles more interesting. Thanks for your compliment about my tastes in music, how I write the videos, and your subscription I really appreciate all of those. I can believe your head cannon. I didn't know that about Mine's tattoo. Thank you for telling me.
If you want to see more I just uploaded my Yakuza 4 retrospective which you can find right here: th-cam.com/video/GtUp22V8e4w/w-d-xo.html
I think you make some great points here. Ultimately, I love Yakuza 3 for the different direction it takes, both with the Orphanage to show another side of Kiryu, and how that clashes with Mine, and the political scope of the Defence Building vs the Resort, something I found more tangible and believable than most of the conflicts surrounding the Millennium Tower. I also double down on your point of Kiryu seeing Rikiya's journey and potential, and that being wasted breaking him to deliver one of his best vocal performances in the series.
Ultimately though, I understand the severe issues with the gameplay especially after coming from the updated Kiwami Engine, as well as the litany of missed opportunities.
I stand by what I posted on your K2 video (I think it was K2) that I think this has a better plot and is less nonsensical than the entire finale sequence of that game, but I'd be splitting hairs. Thanks for another great review :D
I totally agree with you that in terms of believability the conflict over sun flower is better than a lot of other premises other games operate on. And that getting the chance to see another side of Kiryu was unquestionably one of the best parts of 3.
Thank you for being so understanding of the points I made. P.S it was the K2 video.
I just finished Yakuza 3 yesterday, I have been watching each of your retrospectives after each game
Oh cool. I'm happy to hear that
@@riku582 Thanks for these vids!
@@n00b_ninja No problem.
Yeah. I have The Yakuza Collection. Excited for your retrospectives of 4, 5, 6, and Like A Dragon.
Awesome. I'm glad to hear all of that.
@@riku582 😊 Yeah. I recently got my own PS4, and couldn't transfer my files to it from my brother's PS4, so I had to restart. I finished Yakuza 0, and am currently on Kiwami, then I'll move onto Kiwami 2, then the Yakuza Collection(3, 4, and 5), and will have to get my hands on 6 and Like A Dragon.
@@GenAqua Right, I remember you saying something like that last time. Well I hope you have fun replaying the games.
@@riku582 Yeah...Might take a while though, but yeah. I definitely will. Update: finished Kiwami 1 and 2, and am close to completing 3, then I'll move on to 4, 5, 6, and Like A Dragon(I got my hands on 6 and Like A Dragon).
Wow i didnt realize it was possible to accidentally skip a big chunk of Rikiya's story. he is such a great character.
Yeah, it's wild that you can just skip most of his story.
Black monday's Andre, A.K.A Albert Wesker
Yeah, the story is amazing, Mine is my fav villain, all it lacks on for me is some parts of the gameplay
Yeah old or not the gameplay is really hard to get behind.
Despite the major story issues, Yakuza 3 is probably my third favorite in the series (after 0 and 7) for what it tried to do. I think if they had time for two more chapters to resolve the story and subplots better, and they didn't do the Kazama twin nonsense, it would be one of my favorite games ever.
Good video as always, and I look forward to 4 or whichever other video you do next.
If they had more chapters to properly resolve things I'd probably be saying this is one of my favorites too.
Thanks, I'm happy to hear that.
The semi tropical Okinawa ambient and setting for Yakuza 3 is my absolute favorite, seeing Kiryu with his children and how he genuinely loves his family is something exclusive to this one.
the entire game of 3 is all new features for the series on release. the bowling, the darts, the pool, all the minigames, even the camera angle moving around, the chasing mechanics etc.
i think people forget that.
I wasn't actually aware of that when I made the video.
I appreciate these informative retrospectives. Now im anticipating on your thoughts on 4
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed them. And I'm happy to hear you're looking forward to 4.
I really wished RGGS visited back (and improved/expanded) older cities in the game, Okinawa really was something really unique, even after playing all the mainline games, anyways nice video!
Same here the slow country like feel to the Okinawa helps it stand out amongst the others. And thank you I really appreciate that.
honestly i think yahkuza 3 remastered should instead have been yakuza kiwami 3, the game is just a bit too old and unpolished even with whatever fixes the remaster made to the original
@@beedubree2550 I agree, it can only benefit from the update.
Anyone ever wonder why they spend 40 mins on last words while bleeding out instead of getting to a emergency room 🤦🏾♂️
Because when the writers decide a character dies, there's no other choice.
Right now I'm slogging through 6 and waiting till December so then I can sink all my time in 7 so then I can soak up all the atmosphere.
can’t wait for yakuza 4 retrospective 😁
btw 23:30 ‘the problem is ‘easily solved”…. this made me made a new game save on easy because this fight is straight forward P A I N
Glad to hear 99it. It's coming out soonish.
Rikiya is my favourite charatar when hendied I cried
Yeah, I was sad to see him go too.
41:10 Everyone who calls Kiryu Aniki dies.
44:49 That was Mine's gun.
Also, Andre pointed upwards while saying Daigo's name so that's how Kiryu could seem to understand him.
Nagumo?
Random punk #1: Yo, pops! Wanna get kicked in the butt?
Random punk#2: We’ll make you crap on your pants, ya dummy!
Random punk#3: You’re gonna be crying for your mama, jabroni!
Kiryu beats them all to a bloody pulp and the punks run away! Another typical day in the life of Kazuma Kiryu
17:30 here i would like to address that my Kiryu renamed Choko to "MajimaSan" and i can't express how much that make me laugh
Good to see you back, great video as always, I personally enjoyed Yakuza 3 although it is far from being my favorite, I did like the characters and the story was good despite half of it being explained in a 10 minute conversation cutscene, the gameplay was also pretty rough and clunky but that's excused by how old the game is
Thanks, it's good to be back. Yeah even though it wasn't the best the characters and their interactions are some of the best in the series.
I'm gonna be completely honest I was crying when Rikiya died he was probably in my opinion butting heads with majima for My favorite character other than Kiryu
I understand that, he had a good outing for his first game. It's a shame they decided to do away with him so soon.
@@riku582 true
I finished 3 probably about a month ago and I'll agree that it has its flaws, but I think the story was bar none one of my favs and that it deserves some recognition for the emotional development between characters. On the flip side, I'm also a completionist and Yakuza 3 was ready to make me burst a blood vessel because the stuff that should detract from the serious nature of the story and lighten up the mood of the city becomes quickly overturned by how clunky the physics engine for the game is. My main gripe in this statement comes mostly from the darts and golf minigame, not so much pool for me because Kiwami 1's "Mister Master" achievement tortured me enough to prove that I knew how to play it but some aspects of the minigames just accentuate how incredibly dated the game is and I can't blame them seeing as it came out 10+ years ago. Thankfully, I managed to get the platinum, so my woes are somewhat over until I decide to platinum 5. Overall, however, it was a Yakuza game that grew on me and I love the transition from Kiryu struggling to balance managing his orphanage and his relationships to friends he holds dear to watching it all collide and him trying to piece together everything and finally solve the issue at hand.
For the story stuff you mentioned, fair enough. For the mini game related things, I never really messed with the mini games in 3 long enough to get a solid opinion of most of them that aren't the cabaret club, so I will take your word for it.
I have a feeling that, if they do get round to making Kiwami 3 (as the series director has recently said they'll eventually do), giving more of a presence to Mine will be a priority.
hell yeah, i just finished playing Y3 myself, excited to see your thoughts
Thanks I'm glad to hear that.
Here we are! 1 week late but i'm here now!
I hope you enjoyed it.
Glad to see another vid
I'm happy to hear that.
this was an incredibly well made video and an enjoyable watch. will go back and watch your videos on yakuza 0 and the kiwami games, and then make sure to watch 4, 5, and 6 as i continue to progress through the series. you deserve way more viewership than the criminally low amount you're getting and i hope your videos get the popularity they deserve one day.
Thank you. I seriously appreciate hearing all of that.
I love kiryu's characterisation in yakuza 3 and rikiya is one of fav character's in the whole series as well as all the character interactions
I just wish there was more meat to the conflict in the story, like black monday just feels like a diet jingweon and while i do like kiryu's interactions with the kid's i agree with you that it should've been substory mission's
Black Monday is kind of amazing for just how much of a non entity they are despite the story being written around how big of a threat they are. I really wish they got to do literally anything besides be a background element because like you said they feel like a diet version of the Jingweon, which in universe is kind of sad seeing as they are a huge organization and they can't hold a candle to a group of 20 plus thugs.
@@riku582 THE CHAD JINWAGON: Can set a whole city to blow, can manipulate two of the biggest yakuza clans in Japan, could've won if it weren't for the two even bigger chad dragon's, got wiped out yet came back even stronger, nearly killed Majima.
the virgin black monday: is explained in a exposition dump, couldn't kill anyone (except for one guy but gets retconned), nobody cares about there existence, leader is a wannabe Albert Wesker but with broken English, gets wiped out by one man that just came out of a comma
There's something about reading "gets wiped out by a man in a comma" that's much funnier than seeing it happen.
@@riku582 "Doom 2016 opening"
@@manlymcbeefinton2014 I've never played a doom game so that's kind of lost on me.
I’m not gonna watch this cuz I’m still doing Yakuza 3 but it’s glad to see that you’re doing alright my friend I gotta continue watching your K2 retrospective though! You’re awesome man
Thanks I appreciate the comment. I hope you enjoyt the K2 video.
Overall, it's a great video, and I agree with
alot of what you said here, and you made some pretty good tips. By the way, you actually can skip cutscenes in 3 (and 4 since they use the same skipping mechanic) while it took a while for me to figure out, you basically have to hold the button that you would use to usually skip cutscenes in 0, Kiwami, and Kiwami 2. There is also a setting that allows you to only just press the button. Other than that, I'm looking forward to the retrospective on 4!
Thank you I appreciate hearing that.
Oh I see my mistake. Thank you for telling me and I'm glad to here you're looking forward to 4.
Gonna get the remastered collection soon, I’ve beat 0, 1, and 2, and I’m on Kiwami 1 as of now
I hope you enjoy your time with it.
I personally didn't like mine as a villian but I love the characters in this game, you get to see a wide range of personalities and the combat is very enjoyable. I know people say it's really difficult but I had a fun time with it and the substories were really cute. It's not my favorite yakuza game but I would put it up on a list of my favorite games of all time. I just played through it recently completing most of the substories on normal. I really like this game and it definitely has a lot of meme worthy moments
While I wouldn't put 3 as one of my favorites of all time, I do agree that it's a fun time overall with a good amount of fun moments.
@@riku582 understandable there are hundreds of amazing games out there and a lot of them I havent played
Disagree with the kids stories should have been sub stories. The game clearly wants you to care for the kids as much as Kiryu does. And for good reason. They become Kiryu’s primary motivation for the rest of the series. Every decision he makes is to benefit them. They’re his family, getting to know all of them only makes y6’s ending more impactful.
Also, combat isn’t that bad. It’s 100 percent fine.
I won't deny that their mandatory appearances here did strengthen the overall story of later games. However, because so much time is dedicated to them Joji, Mine, and Black Monday get practically no time to leave a lasting impression and get plowed through in quick succession. It might not be a perfect solution but giving 4 or 5 of the kids mandatory encounters while leaving the rest to substories was the best way I could come up with giving the villains more screen time without nixing the kids' entirely.
That mute girls face always freaks me out
I really wish i knew what i did wrong with Rikia in my first playtrough 😞 i walked with him around Kamurotcho and we ended up drinking in homenage to Kashiwagi but somehow i totally missed the tattoo segment of his history
Yeah I completely missed the Rikia sections entirely on my first go around which is why I made it a point to mention it in this video in case people missed it. It's been a while since I played 3 so I couldn't tell you right off the bat how the triggers for this section works, but I remember it being a bit too specific to trigger on accident.
Love the vid side note you probably will never see but daigo picked the gun up off the ground he didn’t have one on him
Thanks. Oh really, well, thanks for telling me.
@@riku582 ofc i recently beat 3 and im on to 4 im excited to finish it not only for story sake but also so i can watch your next video about yakuza 4😅
@@bigboss425 I'm grateful to hear that.
I'm surprised you never mentioned the dodging on PS4, going from it to the PS3 version felt like I was scraping the grease off of Kiryu's shoes and it led to my first Tamashiro fight on PS4 taking at least half an hour
I don't know what to tell you other than it didn't bother me that much.
nani da fuck. Just yesterday i was like "Man... hope he uploads soon" and what do you know. better grab the popcorn
Funny how that stuff tends to work out. I hope you enjoy it.
15:30 eddie murphy
For the gameplay peeps: 8:57
I’m guessing on the yakuza 4 video he’s gonna complain about yasuko blue balling akiyama
30:20 FUCKING WHAT NOW?!?!
Oh yeah that's a thing. Kiryu literally has a line of dialogue saying he raised his kids better than that.
Hey riku currently watching the credits roll on part 4 I’m excited and can’t wait to here your thoughts on it
Glad to hear it, the video will be coming out soonish.
Hey my dude watching the credits role on yakuza 3 before I watch just wanna say as strong as an impact this game had on me emotionally this prlly is weakest in the story but I love it still.
Anyways just like kiwami 2 I will leave a long comment in my opinions
Ima need that yakuza 4 retrospective 🤝🤝🤝
It's coming soonish.
@@riku582 appreciate u 💗
Okay just like the other videos I will break my opinons in order I will say when spoilers happen in case anyone is cautious of that
{Non-Spoilers}
Overall THis has to be my least favorite in the franchise .....
it was not bad but it did feel dated coming off of kiwami 2. the lack of a run button in the open world, and combat feeling more clunky, AND EVERY SINGLE NPC SHIELDING LIKE THERE LIFE DEPENDED ON IT .... It got old quick and could of used some adjustments
(side note)I Legit lost to the first boss three times because my damage was not enough, and i could not break his guard (Tetsuo)
Also yes I agree no pausing was a headache (fun fact I had to restart my game because I was force to leave in the middle of the first cutscene which was annoying.) sad to know that issue is also going to be in pt.4
Overall decent game could of benifited greatly from a kiwami remake but I still think some problems I have with it are beyound just gameplay touch ups, and leak into story issues such as the prologue being a tad to long
Unfortunatley I ran through this entire game skipping komaki, substories, and side activitys.
{Combat}
Yes heat actions lost alot of the power they originally had in my opinon they made no noise and felt dry instead of brutal which lessen the coolness factor in them.
Also i thought it was funny how every time you beat a random npc there bodys would look beat up I always laughed at it
Avoiding enimes was terrible in Kamurocho I dunno how it was even possible.
{Spoilers }
Overall Okay since im in spoilers That Kazama reveal was crazy for me I was legit confused thinking he was dead
Certain missions like finding Haruka Or misou trying to impress his racist love intrest or any of the oprhans going down to okinawa where annoying because of no destination marker I had to look these missions up a few times because of how confused I was tryignt o find the location.
Also Caberat Club was definetley more of a nightmare then I couldve imagined XD
12:04 100% agree XD
20:41 XD 22:18 CHase scenes got repitive quickly for me
23:25 In my opinon Outlaws Lullaby is my favorite from yk2 but crush and strike is also a solid one aswell.
{Story}
25:23 Shame Kashiwagi never got to see this story to the end, and also makes me wonder how he got that iconic scar wish they would have coverd that in Yakuza 0
26:55 I DID NOT EVEN KNOW THAT WAS IN THE GAME!!!!!! He easily was my favorite characther
29:35 That boss battle with Lau Kong Spear and claws was so hard I actually lost to him at 1 HP
I have very mixed feelings on the orphanage espically with that prologue it was very hit or miss I felt proud/happy for kiryu but damn did it get old
Mine (Villan of Yakuza 3) is a intresting idea of a characther but he needed more time felt like he was rushed, and put in the end just to have a big bad guy.
Regarding Joji i feel kinda clickbaited like he was just there as a marketing tool for promotion making it seem like Shintaro was still alive
40:03 Yakuza logic dont question anything at this point kiryu has been shot, and stabbed a hundred times and survived with no internal damage.
40:43 THat scene was bad ass even if it makes no sense
HUGE ASS SPOILERS
40:59 this almost made me break first off I loved him in this game but holy shit Kiryu voice actor his voice genuinley sounded like it was breaking, honestly I always thought that Rikiya was more of a sworn brother then Nakaharra (old dude who fought the bull)
^That damn scene broke me Kiryu legit broke down to where he was completley out of characther. It showed some much needed emotion but damn we missed out on waht could have been a great characther
42:35 It was so weird hearing an english voice after not understanding a single word this whole franchise XD
43:52 that Mine scene made me feel like Mine characther had alot more pottential then the game gave him.
45:55 Seriously at this point Kiryu organs are shreded from gunshots, and stabbings they are all plastic by now.
Anyways thats my thoughts this game was a trip the story was pretty mix imo could have gone through some more drafts, and I dont regret rushing through this one hoping Yakuza 4 is a step in a better direction
Yeah, 3 definitely needed more time in the oven to be on the other games' level. It sucks because the premise is so good, but it just spends too much time doing everything else than what should be the central focus.
If LAD is any indication, then a certain character may have survived the events of this game.
Most of the combat problems here arent present in the original
At the time of this comment,I am finishing Yakuza 3 on the remaster. What Can I say,it's emotional for me. But how about you? Did you ever catch the feels playing 3?
I caught a couple of feelings when it came to the kids and Rikiya, yeah. But I can't remember feeling anyway for any other character aside from Kiryu.
@@riku582 I understand. Rikiya was a thing that got me. I can't wait to start Yakuza 4. Wish me luck
@@uzumakiblade9695 Have fun.
Yeah, 3 has some rough jank to it. In both gameplay and story
You can say that again.
The things I really didn’t like about this game is the Chase minigame and fat enemies because they can’t be knocked down and without the upgrades dramatically slows the pace of a fight (this is just my opinion)
I can understand that.
@@riku582nice
Just commenting to support you.
Thanks I appreciate that.
I really liked the look and feel of Yakuza Kiwami 2 on PS4. Just started playing Yakuza 3 remastered on Xbox. Is it normal for this to look shiny and crappy in comparison to Kiwami 2 or is this a console thing? The characters look worse (I dare say some even look like different people yet I know who it's supposed to be), the eyes have that Starfield thing and even worse, extra shine to an unnecessary level. Just seems weird. Edit: At Chapter 4 and this game is NOT fun.
Are you going to make retrospectives on the spin off games like judgement or dead souls?
Yes I will.
Why am I always so damn late
Don't beat yourself up over it.
I just finished this game and wow the plot made no sense at all even for a Yakuza game and I went thru the whole game without finding komeki. Theres no way the game should have been setup that way that you can miss vital characters and substories. Maybe kawami and 0 just spoiled me.
While Koaki's moves are necessary to get enjoyment out of 3's combat system I wouldn't call him vital. Also the game actually puts Komaki's substory directly on your path as one of his students waits outside of New Serena to inform you that you can meet him. The catch is that the hit detection for this side quest to go off is a bit wonky, so you have to get really close to him for it to trigger, but you wouldn't know that on your first playthrough.
I'm just waiting for when you'll say that 4 references 0(spoiler: Majima lost his eye, got put in The Hole and went through everything he did in 0 because of the main story of 4)lol...even though 4 was released 5 years before 0.
P.S: Independence For Violence is a better remix than Ideal For Violence(the theme that plays when fighting Nishiki's goons in Serena in Kiwami).
that would mean 0 references 4
@@FuraFaolox It should, but you know players who started at 0 lol
@@Ticketman99 that still means 0 references 4, no matter if someone starts with 0
@@FuraFaolox I'm agreeing with you. Most 0 starters won't.
hi bro, I came from your kaiji reaction..
do u read manga??
If u read, pls read Chainsaw Man or The fable !!
I'll give them a shot when I get the chance. Thank you.
Just finnished it, watching the credits as I write.. Ive never been more torn on a game.. I loved the story once it got going, should just have been paced different.. But I can't stand the combat, kamurocho feels less fun to be in and I didn't really love okinawa either.. Some good substories but couldn't be bothered to do them all.. I am binging the games atm so I'll come to it when I'm Done with the series and can give the slow pace more of a chance sinbe I know what it's building to.. Mine was a really good antagonist
Also in just found out rikiya is voiced by Tatsuya Fujiwara from. Battle Royale... Add 2 points to the game for that alone!
Yeah, that sounds about right 3 has got a lot of great story beats but gameplay wise it could be better. And yeah Mine is great, but like I said in the video he needed a bit more time for him to solidify himself as the main villain. As is, I thought he's fine, but I can't help but notice the missed potential.
Never heard of it. Is it good?
@@riku582 you mean battle royale? Yeah it's fantastic.. It's one of Tarantinos favorite movies. Each year a group of school kids are sent to an island to fight to the death until only one remains.
@@mullaoslo It doesn't sound like the kind of movie I'd watch, but it does sound interesting.
@@riku582 imagine hunger games but better 😂 but it's not for everyone.. But rikis actor is very good in in it
@@mullaoslo Fair enough.
Why does the mic quality keep switching?
My mic was dying when I initially recorded it, and by the time I had realized this I was finished recording the bulk of audio I needed for the video. After that I replaced the mic and recorded any corrections I needed to make which includes the later half of the video.
I just finished Y3 and I'll be honest i liked it but i even prefer the ps2 games.
It seems clunky combat wise put weirdly enough the Yakuza 2 combat was way better.
That's a statement. I don't think I've ever heard anyone describe the ps2 games combat better than 3.
Why did you not have access to your PS4?
I left my PS4 in a storage locker when lock down was happening.
@@riku582 Aw bummer man. Good thing it's back. And I just beat 3 so yeah.
I've experienced this series in the exact same way you had. I gotta say, I agree with a fair bit of your criticisms. It feels extremely unfortunate that the combat is so...rigid? I dunno if that's the right word or not. Maybe stiff works better. I recently finished three, like, five days ago. And despite its flaws I also managed to find myself loving it for so many weird things.
A thing I've noticed that this series does really well from sequel to sequel is taking what they have and fleshing it out. I'm currently at the part where you bring up the chase minigame and yeah, I agree with that. Fun, repetitive, but fun regardless. But then in the direct follow-up it adds specifically 90 degree sharp turn dashing and throwing bottles at the people you're chasing. It's kinda crazy how just adding those two things made that minigame even more enjoyable.
The final comment I want to make before finishing this video, is I've watched all of your series up to now. And I have to say, your taste in music/the songs you specifically point out as being good I couldn't agree more with. Crush and Strike is just...so weirdly good, it sounds so right. I also really like how varied the music can be in this series. Like in 4, each of the characters fighting themes are quite good. Especially Akiyamas street fighting theme. I honestly can't wait to hear your thoughts on the future series.
Also, before I forget. Fly was a song I had lukewarm thoughts on. Nothing too strong, thought it was okay. But then, hearing it in the context of the final boss fight. It honestly made me fall in love with that song. It's honestly really crazy to realise how strong these soundtracks are. I'd gotten into Yakuza because I saw funny man punch metal bench with detective man looking at him and learned where Baka Mitai came from. That, combined with constant recommendations to play it from friends and youtubers alike, I just caved and bought what was out at the time on steam. Now I'm up to five and damn, I'm so happy I picked this series up.
I'm also glad I decided to watch your series of Zero to Kiwami 2 to refresh my brain of the story (as I'd finished Kiwami 2 like...eight months ago.) I stayed to watch your thoughts on Yakuza 3 since I found myself liking the way you made content and your commentaries/explanations on it in general.
So, I decided to subscribe. Can't wait to see your future content! :>
Edit: Nearing the end I had a few more thoughts. My god, I feel you with the Rikiya scene. Kiryu completely breaking down and screaming and begging is just, so horribly tragic. Kiryu is the guy who you just want to get a huge and be told everything will be okay. A big strong dude who's lost so much. But deep down is a very soft and loving person with that side very rarely being shown on full display.
That was such a genuinely heartbreaking scene. Hearing Saki scream out and calling Nakahara her father and Rikiya up and dying is just...damn. That hits like a truck.
Also I was honestly shocked, surprised and very happy that they made Andre speak in his native tongue. My own little headcanon for that is that Kiryu learned English (well enough) through Yakuza 3. Because of the sub stories of him learning english from those books. I know that's not exactly rock solid, but, it's kinda funny to imagine.
Also, it felt oddly sweet hearing Joji say 'beautiful eyes' when referring to Kiryu. There's a lot of emotionally hitting moments like that despite some of its flaws.
And I'm not sure if this was a thing you knew or not, but I found this out just the other day. In legend, the Kirin (Mine's Tattoo) is one of the only creatures with the ability to slay a dragon. Interesting when you think about it. Considering Kiryu was fully expecting to die in his fight against Mine. Which is...really sad when you think about it.
Yeah it bites that thanks to our, for lack of a better term, late introduction into the series that 3 feels so stiff, but it thankfully has a lot of charm to fall back on. And I completely agree the series is really good on fleshing aspects of the gameplay to make sequel titles more interesting.
Thanks for your compliment about my tastes in music, how I write the videos, and your subscription I really appreciate all of those.
I can believe your head cannon.
I didn't know that about Mine's tattoo. Thank you for telling me.